


The Aftermath

by SapphicGeek



Category: Birds of Prey (Comic), DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/F, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Light Angst, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, Why cant they just have a healthy relationship dammit, these two bicker like an old married couple and i am here for it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29604900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicGeek/pseuds/SapphicGeek
Summary: Takes place after the end of Grudge Match. Old feelings are brought up.OrJLU never repaired any of Helena’s relationships, so I’m doing it for them. (The show is referenced, but most of the source material are from various Birds of Prey runs. Sorry movie fans.)
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli & Barbara Gordon, Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance, Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 1 in the morning, I apologize for any and all grammar mistakes. I know it switches POV during the page-break, but I’m tired so you’re going to have to deal with it.

The fight lasted a good five minutes before Helena went down. At first, Dinah thought that she was pulling her punches, throwing the fight. It was like she pitied her for some reason. Maybe it was the way the Birds of Prey split up? Or something to do with the League? Dinah didn’t know. Part of her thought that this experience had put them on better terms. But wow. Did Helena really think that she was that weak?

Dinah tried to force a smile. She had just started to patch things up with Huntress, now was not the time to get into another argument. “What?” She cocked an eyebrow, “Giving up already?”

Helena didn’t respond with a quip. Her eyes were glued on her hand. She removed her glove and cursed. “Hey, Canary,” she looked up, “Do you think there are any med kits in here?”

Dinah frowned, “Doubt it, why?”

“My hand is bleeding,” she held her blood-covered hand up to Dinah, revealing a large slash wound on her palm.

Dinah nearly choked, “How the hell did that happen?”

Huntress ripped off a piece of her cape and wrapped it around her hand, “I fought Roulette while you were out getting your ass handed to you by that other guy, remember?”

“That was like ten minutes ago,” Dinah pinched the ridge of her nose. For some reason, she was getting a serious case of déjà vu. Given her and Huntress’s track record, she wasn’t surprised, “You’re telling me that you’ve been bleeding out for the past ten minutes and didn’t say anything?”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes and stood up, “It’s not that bad. I’ll just go home.”

“No, wait!” Dinah said a little too quickly, “My apartment’s closer. Plus, I don’t think you’d be able to steer a bike with that hand.”

“Right,” Helena grumbled pointedly.

“Hey! We just had a conversation about having each others’ backs.”

She held up her hands, “I’m not disagreeing with you.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Oh please,” she rolled her eyes, “I saved your life, didn’t I?” For half a second, Dinah could have sworn that Helena was smiling.

—

Helena had to admit, she missed spending time with Dinah. She missed the team-ups, the parties, the drama, all of it. If anything, this night just proved that. Breaking up an illegal fighting ring, not to mention surviving a fight against Wonder Woman, felt just like old times. Albeit, a lot more terrifying.

She hugged Dinah’s back. She could hear her heartbeat over the hum of the motorcycle. Dinah made a sharp turn and the bike almost went flying. Helena grinned. God, she missed this.

“SO I SEE YOU GOT A NEW BIKE!” She yelled over the engine.

“YEAH!” Dinah yelled back, “THANKS FOR TRASHING MY OTHER ONE, BY THE WAY!”

“NO PROBLEM!”

Dinah elbowed her in the stomach. Helena was cackling.

“DON’T LAUGH! YOU STILL OWE ME A NEW ONE!” She tried to stifle her own laughter, “NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN TOWN, SWING BY AND VISIT ME AND BARBARA!”

Helena’s smile wavered She started to feel sick, but not from blood loss (If the cut was that bad, she would already be dead.). At first she thought it was because Dinah drove like a lunatic, but then again, so did she. No, what she felt was guilt. She got fired from the League, dragged Canary into her revenge plot, and then unceremoniously quit the Birds of Prey. Not exactly best friend material. And now, she was out here, joking like nothing’s changed. It felt wrong. With a deep breath, she tightened her grip on Dinah’s waist, hoping she wouldn’t throw up.

Dinah practically dragged Helena to her doorstep and shoved her in. It looked exactly the same. The couch was still crummy and falling apart at the seams. Helena offered to buy her a new one, but no. Apparently her pride trumps her guests’ comfort. The kitchen was the same mess that Helena tried so hard to organize. A pile of clothes sat in the middle of the room, and she could have sworn it doubled in size since she was last here. Did Dinah ever put her laundry away?

Helena grimaced, “This place is exactly how I remember it.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“Don’t,” she said flatly.

Dinah sighed, “Just sit down, I’ll go find the first-aid kit.”

“You’re making a big deal over nothing!” Helena shouted as she walked away. Dinah ignored her.

Helena slouched in her seat and looked out the window. The night’s events replayed in her mind. Dinah had said something to her. I didn’t think you cared about anyone. She knew that Canary was mind-controlled at the time, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Was she a total dick for quitting the way she did? Yes. But that doesn’t mean that she didn’t love her— Or Oracle.

“I’m back, H,” She snapped out of her train of thought, “Hold on, this is going to sting a lot.”

Before Helena could respond, Dinah grabbed her hand, took off her make-shift bandage, and started cleaning her hand with a large cotton square soaked in rubbing alcohol. She winced through the pain, tapping her foot repeatedly as Dinah slowly bandaged her hand up.

“My knight in vegan-leather armor,” she smirked, “How can I repay you?”

Dinah stared at the floor. Huntress frowned, “I’m kidding.”

Nothing.

Helena tried to change the subject, “I heard Babs got a couple new protégées. Must be fun to train them.”  
Still nothing.

“Sorry?” She tried.

“You really are insufferable,” her voice broke. A tear streamed down her face.

A million thoughts were running through Helena’s mind, but the only one she could focus on was the question: what did she do wrong?

“Helena, I—”

“I’m sorry,” she cut her off, “Really. I’m sorry that I got you involved in my murderous revenge plot. I’m sorry that I quit the Birds of Prey because things got awkward. I’m sorry I tried to ghost you, Babs, and Zinda. I’m just… I’m a terrible friend.”

Dinah stayed silent for a moment. Maybe this was her hint that she had overstayed her welcome. Helena tried to get up to leave, but Dinah grabbed her hand and guided her back down. Helena intertwined their fingers.

“I don’t blame you for any of that,” Dinah’s voice was raspy and weak.

“You don’t?”

“I’m crying because you broke my heart.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to pretend that changing POVs is on purpose now.  
> Also, if you got into this ship from BoP, you’re probably weirded out by this Helena’s personality. Sorry. She’s not as socially awkward as the movie makes her out to be.

There are very few occasions in which the Huntress didn’t talk back. This was one of them. For what felt like the first time in her life, she was at a loss for words. What does one say when their ex-best friend just confessed their feelings?

“I didn’t— I wasn’t…” Helena trailed off, “What?”

Dinah took a deep breath, “I loved you.”

“I’m sorry I left,” Huntress repeated.

She shook her head, “It wasn’t even about that. You were growing distant before…”

Helena’s eyes were glued to her shoes. Part of her wanted to believe that this was all a dream. Or maybe they were just tired from the adrenaline wearing off. People say things they don’t mean when they’re tired. Right?

“Maybe we should get some rest and talk about this in the morning,” Helena suggested, trying to ignore the lump forming in her throat, “Meet me at the coffee shop a few blocks from here.”

Before Dinah could respond, Helena was already out the door. She had to go back for her bike anyway. Plus, she really needed to process things.

— 

Dinah closed her eyes. She did not just say that. This has got to be the worst way to confess your feelings to someone. She reminded herself there probably no other time she could. Helena had said that she wanted to be on her own. What if that was the last time they would get a moment together?

It was fine. She wanted to get coffee. At their old meet up place, no less. She took a deep breath. Everything was fine.

She didn’t sleep well for the remainder of the night.

—

The walk to Roulette’s fighting ring gave her time to think. If Dinah meant what she said, it would’ve put a lot of memories into perspective. Maybe that’s why they stole glances at each other during mission briefings. Why they flirted during fights. Or maybe she was just over analyzing everything. After all, it was almost one in the morning.

Helena sighed. She hated being this uncertain.

“Hey, Huntress!” a voice called out, “What are you doing in Bludhaven?”

Helena knew who that voice belonged to. She looked up to see a man in black spandex with the symbol of a blue bird hugging the upper part of his torso. A black domino mask covered part of his face. Nightwing.

“Not now, Dick,” she continued to walk towards the now-abandoned parking lot, “I’m having a crisis, here.”

He followed her, “What kind of crisis?”

“The gay kind— Well, bi. But still.”

Dick made a clicking sound with his mouth, “Yikes. Who’s the lucky lady?”

Helena’s face burned. She hesitated, “Why do you want to know?”

“You're walking alone in an abandoned parking lot, in Bludhaven, late at night. I feel like that should be enough to warrant questioning.”

She sighed, “It’s Dinah.”

Nightwing’s eyes lit up, “What? That’s great!”

“Why are you all excited?” Helena muttered.

“You guys acted more like a couple than we did. And we actually dated. Excuse me for rooting for you two.”

Huntress blinked. Was it really that obvious? Okay, to be fair, she was afraid of showing Dick any PDA because she was pretty sure that Babs was planning on killing her in her sleep. Still, how was it that obvious? Some detective she was.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“We all figured you’d realize for yourselves,” Dick tried to contain his smile, “And from the looks of it, you did.”

“She told me I broke her heart in tears.” Helena hated being a mood killer, but she couldn’t help it. Her eyes were already starting to swell. Her stomach ache persisted. Goddamn human emotions.

“Sorry to hear that. Is there a way I can help?” He offered as she looked for her bike. She spotted it sitting between two pillars. She walked over and put on her helmet. 

“Don’t bother!” She snapped. Dick gave her a concerned look. Helena tried to center herself. “Thanks for offering,” she corrected herself, “But I’m good.”

“No problem,” Dick patted her on the shoulder, “Oh, and talk to Babs at some point. She misses you.”

Helena gave a meek smile, “I’ll think about it.” And with that, she drove off.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so Dinah said that she used to love Helena. No big deal. She never specified that her feelings were romantic. They worked together for years, it’s not like she wouldn’t have grown to care for her.

The sane part of her brain tried to remind her that she’s worried about futures that haven’t happened yet. She tried to relax. After all, she was going to their favorite cafe in Gotham.

Dinah loved their old meeting spot. A small, nameless cafe co-owned by a group of rich kids with too much time on their hands. Despite the fact they were losing money every month, they insisted on keeping it open because, to use their own words, “Why the fuck not?” What the shop lacked in customers, it made up for in enthusiasm. They gave whoever they could jobs and even joined a food donation program. On top of that, they treated all of their regulars as family. Normally, a place like this in Gotham wouldn’t have lasted five days. Yet somehow, despite the frequent gang wars, domestic terrorism, and alien invasions, the place somehow managed to stay in one piece. Plus, the coffee was really good.

She walked up to the door. Several posters were attached to it. One was a printed list phone numbers and the names of hotlines. Another was a poster that advertised the cafe’s game night. The third promoted a free tutoring program from across the street. The final was a messily handwritten sign that was pasted front and center. It was covered in crossed out letters and words, reading something along the lines of: _Recently installed with an advanced defense system in case of another alien invasion :) And we have WiFi now! Ask the barista for the password— XOXO the hotter owner._ Dinah shrugged and walked in.

On the wall hung two golden scimitars that must have been worth more than the entire place. Aside from one woman working in the cafe, the room was completely empty. She must have been new, because Dinah had never seen her before. The woman was tall and pasty, wearing a dark blue apron on top of a white collared-shirt and black pants. She had jet black hair that fell just short of her eyes, on which heavy eyeliner had been applied. A small name tag was pinned on the corner of her apron, but the name was scribbled out.

The woman gave her an annoyed stare and signed something with her hands. 

Dinah frowned, “Sorry, I don’t understand sign language,” she made sure to make her lips easier to read.

The woman sighed and pulled out a sheet of paper, reading: _My name is Rosa. I’m mute, not deaf. Just give me your order and tell me if it’s for here or to go. If it’s for here, find a table and I’ll come around later. Yes, our pastries are fresh. WiFi Passcode is “C0ff33_ &_Cr1tt3rs.” _

Dinah blinked, “Two cups of black coffee, for here, please.”

Rosa nodded and began brewing a pot.

Dinah walked over to a small table in the corner. She rested her head on her hand and pulled out her phone. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized she had A LOT of unread messages from Helena. 

Sent at 1:15 AM: _Sorry I bailed last night I left my bike at the ring_

Sent at 1:17 AM: _I’ll come by the cafe around opening time_

Sent at 9:00 AM: _So it turns out I’m wanted by the police_

Sent at 9:00 AM: _Something about “attempted murder” or whatever…_

Sent at 9:01 AM: _Fucking Mandragora_

Sent at 9:02 AM: _Does the league know M’s got goons in the GCPD_

Sent at 9:02 AM: _To be fair there are a lot of goons in the GCPD_

Sent at 9:04 AM: _Currently being shot at_

Sent at 9:08 AM: _...I forgot to change into civilian clothes FUCK_

Sent at 9:08 AM: _I’ll be there in like five minutes_

Dinah checked the time, it was 9:10. She couldn’t help but laugh at that. Not just because Helena texted like she was writing out her train of thought, but also because Huntress was actually facing consequences for her actions. It was cathartic, really. After talking so much about how she does “fine on her own,” maybe she’ll realize that she can help. Well… Oracle would probably be the most help in this specific case, but the sentiment was still there.

She put her phone away and groaned. She tried to quiet the noise in her head. If Helena didn’t want to rejoin anything, she didn’t have to… No matter how much Dinah wanted her to come back.

 _Wait for coffee_ , she told herself, _I’ll deal with this later._

Soon after the coffee was served, Helena showed up in a purple sweater and low cut jeans. There was a bit of grime on her face. Her muscles were tense and sweat was running down her forehead. The bandages that Dinah had applied to her hand were replaced with new ones. She sat down across from Dinah and picked up a cup.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she took a sip, “Anti-hero stuff, you know how it is.”

Was that what she thinks she is now? Dinah wanted to scream.

“So…” Helena trailed off, “You said some stuff that I didn’t quite understand.”

“Yeah,” Dinah said, her ears burned, “I did.”

“I broke your heart and,” She paused, “You loved me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry ‘bout last chapter— I accidentally published an older version... Should be okay now (I think)! Feedback is welcomed as always.
> 
> Also this coffee shop may or may not have been bought by the batkids without Bruce’s knowledge (He’s a billionaire and Tim technically runs WE; he wouldn’t have noticed).


	4. Chapter 4

“I mean, who wouldn’t love me,” Helena joked.

Dinah glared at her.

“Kidding,” she threw her hands up defensively, “Look, I’m not really good at being genuine and stuff, alright?”

Dinah took a sip of coffee. Helena narrowed her eyes and chewed her lip. She couldn’t take the guilt anymore. She apologized last night, but given recent circumstances, that doesn’t seem to be the problem. She just wanted to help in some way. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

Dinah stayed silent for a moment. Helena shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

“Make things go back to normal,” she said bluntly.

Helena frowned, “I don’t think the League would take me back, even if you did pull some strings.”

“Not that,” she sounded frustrated, “Check in on me and Babs once in a while. Ask for help. I don’t care what you do or don’t rejoin, I just want to spend time with you again.”

That’s it? Her penance was to  _ talk  _ to people. People she already knew. She relaxed her shoulders. She was going the nail this. “Yeah. I can do that.”

Dinah smiled, and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped. She put her hand to her ear, “Be there in a minute.”

Helena cringed, “Hero stuff?”

Dinah made a sound in agreement and was about to leave. Helena reached into her pocket to fish out her wallet. It wasn’t there. Just her luck.

“Wait!” She ran to catch Dinah, she spun around, “I forgot my wallet.”

Dinah rolled her eyes and handed her five dollars.

“I’ll pay you back later, I swear,” Helena promised.

“I’ll add that to the list of things you owe me,” she said as she walked toward the exit.

Helena grinned, “One hand-built motorcycle and a five dollar bill!”

Dinah left. Helena paid for the coffee. The barista went on break. She was about to leave before three teenagers ran into the shop.

The first to enter was a girl with long blonde hair, dressed in a bright purple top and black leggings. She had a large, crooked grin plastered across her face. The second was a boy with ink-black hair that fell just above his shoulders. He was in a red button-up shirt and black dress pants. There were large, dark circles under his barely-opened eyes. He looked familiar. Helena shrugged it off. The third and final teenager was dressed in all black and had her hair tied up into a small pony-tail. Her lips were tugged into a slight smile as she listened to the other two talk.

“You can make waffles here, right?” The blonde one asked the boy in the red shirt, “‘Cause, it’d seem like a really bad investment if you couldn’t.”

“I don’t know, Steph” he sounded groggy, “Coffee’s good, though.”

“Timothy Drake,” Steph(?) dramatically placed her hand over her head, “We’ve had this place for how long, and you’ve never looked at your own menu?”

“Not so loud,” the other girl said, “Don’t know if… he’s listening.”

The three slowly turned their heads to Helena. She grinned when she realized where she knew that boy from, “Tim Drake… One of Bruce’s kids right?”

Tim murmered in agreement.

Steph turned to the other two, “He’s on to us!”

“Relax,” Helena tried maintain a straight face, “I know Tim through Dick. I’m his ex.”

Steph frowned, “But you’re not a redhead.”

Helena broke, “Please tell me,” she managed between laughs, “you don’t make those jokes in front of Babs.”

“I’m not buying it!” Steph tried to use Tim as a shield, “Cass, it’s a trap!”

“She is not… lying.”

Helena decided she was going to ignore the human lie detector’s comment, “It’s been so long, I didn’t recognize you— It’s Helena, by the way.”

“Ahuh, nice try, lady,” Steph crossed her arms, “We’ve never seen you before in our lives.”

Tim’s eyes scanned the empty cafe before turning back to the conversation “Actually, Steph. Helena’s a vigilante. I saw her around a lot when I was starting out.”

“Damn straight!”

“You... work with Oracle?” Cass asked.

Helena grimaced, “Used to. I’ve been meaning to reach out.” She tried to change the subject, “You girls are her new sidekicks, right?”

“Protégées,” Steph corrected, “We’re our own vigilantes, thank you very much.” Cass nodded in agreement.

“I’m literally right here,” Tim grumbled.

There was an awkward pause in the conversation. Steph tried to fill the silence. She clapped her hands together and said, “Welp. If you’re not a snitch, then I’m getting waffles.” She walked to a closed door that most likely lead to a kitchen.

Tim murmured something about how it was nice to see her again before following after Steph. Cass gave Helena one last glance and then walked away.

Huh. Catching up wasn’t that bad. If this conversation was anything like the one she was going to eventually have with Barbara, things might go well. Keyword: might.


	5. Chapter 5

Helena bounced her leg up and down. She shifted in her seat and looked around. She hated waiting, but it was for a good cause. After God knows how long, Helena finally decided to reach out to Barbara. And surprisingly, she agreed to meet her at a park this afternoon. It still didn’t keep from feeling like she was about to vomit.

She tried to practice what she was going to say.  _ I’m sorry I ghosted you after spending all of my free time killing the people who killed my family?  _ No. Too blunt.  _ I’m sorry I didn’t think about your emotions before I avenged my family’s death.  _ No. That makes it sound like it was Babs’ fault.  _ I’m sorry I prioritized my own feelings over our friendship.  _ Yeah. That could work.

A few minutes passed, and Helena spotted a redhead in a wheelchair. Helena waved. Barbara made her way over. She put down her hand when she saw Babs’ expression. Or lack thereof. “So,” Barbara asked, “What changed?”

Helena narrowed her eyes, “What?”

“I tried to contact you for weeks. And suddenly, out of nowhere, you show up,” Barbara’s voice was analytical and devoid of emotion, “What happened?”

“The guilt finally got to me,” Helena answered honestly, “I wanted to apologize… For everything. I prioritized my own feelings over our friendship, and it was wrong.”

“And you came to that realization on your own?”

Jesus, how emotionally stunted did people think she was? “Yeah, no shit.”

Babs raised an eyebrow. Helena hated it when Barbara did that. It was her  _ I-know-you’re-not-telling-me-everything  _ expression. “Okay fine, I had a conversation about it with Dinah. She said that I should try reaching out. But, trust me, the guilt was there before.”

“And how do you feel now that you’ve apologized?” 

Was she seriously playing this game? It doesn’t matter. Just tell the truth. “I want to stay in touch. I care about you a lot. I don’t want to make the same mistakes that got me into this emotional landmine.”

Barbara didn’t speak for a minute. Helena’s palms felt sweaty. She wondered if Babs was about to kill her. To her surprise, she smiled, “Helena Bertinelli having a mature conversation. I never thought I’d live to see the day.” 

Helena threw her hands in the air, “Why doesn’t anyone think I’m capable of handling my emotions?”

“Because you killed like eight people instead of going to a therapist— Also I accept your apology and I’m sorry that I didn’t help you sort things out. I could’ve warned you Mandragora had a kid if I looked into it.”

“Oh, um,” Helena rubbed the back of her neck, “It’s fine. It’s not like I asked for help. It was something I had to do on my own, anyway.”

There was an awkward pause.

“Can we catch up now? I feel really out of the loop.”

Babs nodded, “I’d like that.”

Helena remembered the two girls she ran into at the cafe, “You have new protégées, right? I met them yesterday when I went out for coffee.”

“Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown,” she confirmed, “Great kids. I’m glad you met Cass. She’s a great fighter but I’m worried she’s throwing away her teen years. She barely leaves the tower.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.”

“You’re on thin ice, Bertinelli,” she joked.

“And Stephanie?” Helena questioned.

“A good fighter, but not the greatest. She’s, in her own words, ‘An agent of Chaos.’ Incredibly intelligent— both academically and emotionally.” 

“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Barbara nodded in agreement, “What about you? Anything new happen?”

“Dinah told me that I broke her heart, for one,” she blurted out. Her cheeks burned. She did  _ not _ mean to say that out loud.

“About time.”

Helena covered her mouth with her hand, “How did everyone figure this out before me?”

“We’re detectives, and you were busy murdering people.”

“Yeah that’s fair.”

“How do you feel about it all?” Barbara asked.

“Guilty.”

“Sorry, let me rephrase that,” She pushed up her glasses, “How do you feel about  _ her? _ ”

Honestly, Helena wasn’t sure. If she were asked that question two weeks ago, she would have said she hated her. That Dinah was annoying and self righteous. Now, she thought Dinah was a great teammate and a good friend. She cared about her a lot. She liked spending time with her. Dinah got her. She understood Helena’s sense of humor, the way she showed affection, and how she thought.

“She’s a good friend,” Helena decided.

Barbara raised an eyebrow, “You hesitated.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Do you still play Dungeons and Dragons?” Helena changed the subject.

Barbara rolled her eyes, but answered, “Yeah. I set up a campaign with Cass and Steph, actually.”

“Remember when you ran that animated armor encounter for me, Dinah, and Zinda and—”

“You tried to seduce the armor? Yes. I remember it vividly, Miss ‘Hey baby, want me to polish that sword for you?’”

The two continued to talk about D&D. Barbara talked about the new handbooks that came out and how cool some of the new monsters were. When Helena told her that she sold most of her old dice sets, Babs looked like she wanted to strangle her (She kept the cool ones, though).

“We have a session tonight at five, if you want to join us,” she offered.

Without thinking Helena said, “I’d love to.”

“Alright so the group consists of me, Cass, Steph, Dinah,” for some reason Helena’s heart skipped a beat, “Sometimes Kate, and a person you don’t know. Make your character level five— and legal, this time.”

“It was one time!”

“Ahuh, sure,” she looked at her watch, ‘I have to get going. Back to bat stuff.”

Helena waved as Babs left. She smiled. It felt weird to talk to her friends again. Weird but good. But more importantly, she had to make a new character.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Barbara ran a D&D campaign for the Birds of Prey in the comics


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry my updating has been a bit random. It’s because I lack any and all forms of discipline.

“Come on, we’re not done yet,” Dinah tried to get Stephanie and Tim to stand up. After a long training session, the two were sprawled out in the center of Clock Tower’s gym. The only one who didn’t seem tired was Cassandra, who was standing up and staring at the other two with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” Steph put her hand over her forehead, “I’m dead.”

“Same,” Tim grumbled.

“Guys, seriously, you only have to keep at it for another five minutes,” Dinah pleaded.

Steph pushed herself up, still sitting on the mat, “If I have to do one more push-up, I’m throwing myself off of this tower.”

“Push me out first.”

Cass looked Dinah dead in the eyes and said, “Not lying.”

Dinah sighed. Sometimes she really hated her job. There was so much on her mind right now, and these three weren’t helping. After two minutes she caved, “What do you want to do then?”

“Talk?” Cassandra suggested. Tim and Steph were suddenly on high alert. Dinah’s eye twitched, but she joined them on the floor. After all, she should probably check in to see how the three were doing mentally. Cassandra sat next to Stephanie.

“How’s life?”

“Dad’s trying to kill me,” Steph said, “Same old same old.”

“Mom… For me,” Cassandra said.

“No one is personally trying to kill me, but Bruce’s expectations just might do the trick.”

Dinah blinked, “Okay, there’s a lot to unpack there. First—”

“Throw out the whole suitcase,” Steph interrupted, “You give us your answer first.”

How was her life doing? It was a mess. She didn’t understand why she still had strong feelings for Helena. She thought they were gone. Dead. But apparently, they work on zombie logic. Lately she’s been trying to ignore her feelings and just do what was right for Helena. After all, it’s not like she reciprocated at any point in time.

Dinah settled for, “It’s complicated.”

“That’s not a real answer!” Steph protested. Cassandra jabbed at her ribs.

Before Dinah could continue her first statement, Tim moved on, “How’s everyone’s love life doing?”

“No,” Cass answered.

“You just want to talk about Kon.”

“He took me flying yesterday!” Tim’s sleep-deprived demeanor had dissipated, and what was left was the essence of a giddy child, ”Do you know what Gotham looks like from the sky?”

“A dark polluted cloud of gray?” Steph suggested.

“Well, yes,” Tim admitted, “But it was still cute. I gave him flowers. You should’ve seen his face,” He was melting.

“I’m still single, thanks for asking,” Steph glanced at Cassandra before turning back to Dinah.

Dinah did not like where this conversation was headed. “That,” she said, “Would be inappropriate to share with you.”

“Oh please, we all know you went on a date the other day,” Tim rolled his eyes like it was common knowledge.

Dinah choked, “What?”

“We saw you walk out of that coffee shop,” Stephanie explained, “And there was this lady there that knew Tim, and that me and Cass were training under Oracle. She said that she was also a vigilante and used to work for her. Since that’s also your thing, we put two and two together.”

“It was nothing like that,” Dinah didn’t know how to explain this.

“Nervous,” Cassandra pointed out. Sometimes Dinah really hated the fact that she could read body language.

“We were just talking.”

“That’s what people usually do on dates.”

“We used to work with each other, but we don’t anymore,” Dinah seriously didn’t want to talk about her situation with a bunch of teenagers, “We were just catching up.”

Cass raised an eyebrow. A habit she probably picked up from Barbara.

“Right,” Tim said, “Kon and I catch up all the time.”

Steph scrunched up her nose, “Ew. TMI.”

“And, this talk is over,” Dinah stood up, “Hit the showers, I’ve gotta get going, but I’ll be here later for game night.” She began to make her way to the exit. On her way out, she heard the end of the three’s conversation.

“Ugh, why can’t I join?”

“Because this is the only night of the week you can get a regular amount of sleep.”

“Oracle… said that Helena… joining.”

This was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Watch me, someone who does not experience sexual attraction, attempt to write sexual attraction. Please, for the love of my non-existent god, send help.
> 
> I’ve researched this shit. Like... Really? That’s what goes through your mind when... Ok. I’m totally judging all of you right now.
> 
> Any tips, tricks, and/or suggestions are welcome... Please.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not dead, just had to take the NLE, so that’s fun. Sorry this chapter’s a bit short.

It was a goddamn miracle Helena didn’t crash her bike into a pole. Throughout the drive to the tower, all she could think about was Dinah. One memory in particular stood out.

_ It happened a few months before Helena went after Mandragora. The two had been sparring for what seemed like forever. And as much as she hated to admit it, Dinah was kicking her ass. Before Helena knew what happened, she went flying into a wall, leaving a vigilante-sized dent in the wall. _

_ “Best out of seven!” She had begged. _

_ Dinah walked over slowly, “In your dreams,” she reached her hand out. _

_ “As if I’d waste my dreams on you,” Helena quipped. She grabbed Dinah by the wrist, pulled her down to the floor, and pinned her. _

_ “That was uncalled for,” Dinah rolled her eyes, “This is what I get for being sportsmanlike.” _

_ “I would hardly call throwing me into a wall ‘sportsmanlike,’” she tried to adjust her weight, which Dinah used as an opportunity to get out of the hold and return the favor. _

_ Helena struggled for a minute, but she had run out of energy. Her muscles had given out. She opted to relax into the hold, “You know, under different circumstances, I wouldn’t mind us being like this.” _

_ She had meant it to be a joke, but she could feel her face getting heated by her own comment. What was even more shocking was Dinah lowering her head, barely a centimeter away from Helena. Dinah’s breath felt warm against her skin. She cupped Helena’s chin and brushed her thumb against her lips. She leaned in a little closer, barely ghosting a kiss. With a smile pressed against her, she whispered, “Good to know.” _

_ And just like that, she got off of her and left, leaving Helena flustered and confused, stuttering about how she was just kidding. _

How Helena had been so oblivious to her feelings was beyond her. But that memory played over and over in her mind, even after her falling out with the Birds of Prey. She wondered if Dinah still had those feelings…

When Helena eventually made her way to the tower, she felt strangely giddy about seeing Dinah. She prayed for that feeling to subside, but it fell to deaf ears. Her heart was pounding. Her palms were sweaty. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I’ve stated perviously, I do not experience sexual attraction. Please please please give me feedback. I have no idea what I’m doing.


End file.
